San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced Thursday Assistant Chief Scott Wahl as his pick for the city's next chief of police to replace current chief David Nisleit when he retires in late June.
Wahl, a native San Diegan, was selected after a nationwide search for candidates that was narrowed down to 56 law enforcement officers and after an extensive interview process with nearly two dozen community members and other city officials, Gloria's office said.
"Assistant Chief Wahl’s unwavering and unyielding commitment to safety and wellbeing of the people of San Diego has been demonstrated over his 25 years with the department and I know that he will continue that work as our chief of police,” Mayor Gloria said.
The chief of police is selected by the mayor but must be approved in a majority vote by the San Diego City Council before being sworn in.
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Wahl's appointment follows a brief stint in his current role as assistant chief of special projects and legislative affairs, which he has he held since September 2023.
Wahl has served with the department for 25 years, working in almost every role and rank including as an officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and most-recently assistant chief.
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"I love his city and I love this police department," Wahl said Thursday. "I am here because I want to make a difference in our community. I am here because I want to make a difference in the lives of the men and women who come to work each and every day to protect and serve all of you. I have a vested interest in the success of this city and the success of this police department."
According to the San Diego Police museum, Wahl follows in his father Michael's footsteps. The elder Wahl ended a 35-year career with SDPD when he retired at the rank of detective.
"I’m a fourth-generation San Diegan. I'm born and raised here. I grew up the son of a San Diego police officer. Doing this job is all I've ever wanted to do,” Wahl said.
Nisleit's retirement marks the end of a nearly 36-and-a-half-year law enforcement career, culminated by more than six years as the city's highest-ranking officer.
Nisleit took the reigns as chief in March 2018 after being appointed by former Mayor Kevin Faulconer to replace outgoing Chief Shelley Zimmerman, who served from 2014 until her retirement.
Chief William Lansdowne, Zimmerman's predecessor, was hired following a national search, and the only chief in the last 50 years that has been hired from outside the department. Prior to his 2003 arrival in San Diego, Lansdowne served as Chief of Police in San Jose. Lansdowne retired in 2014.
The search for Wahl closely mimicked the last national search that ultimately led to the internal hiring of Chief David Nisleit.
Ahead of both Nisleit's and Wahl's appointments, city officials solicited input from the public during several community meetings and received hundreds of online surveys from residents. Faulconer and Gloria both sought the input of advisory boards of community leaders and city executives.
